Tasting with 5 senses

Make sure you neutralise your palate:

If you are trying several varieties, neutralise your palate in between each tasting: with white bread, weakly brewed rose hip tea or mineral water. Before tasting, do not smoke or eat any highly spiced foods.

Important: Begin the tasting with the chocolate with the lowest percentage of cocoa. Start with white chocolate, then milk chocolate and finally dark chocolate. Gradually work up to high-percentage varieties. Chocolate is best tasted in a calm atmosphere so that you are able to concentrate on your senses. In the following we will explain the main principals.

Sight

Pay attention to the chocolate’s appearance.

Touch

Now you can assess the structure of the surface.

Hearing

Hold a piece of chocolate to your ear and break it.

Smell

You can use your nose to perceive the chocolate’s many aromas.

Taste

We now come to the most intense experience of chocolate tasting!

Sight

The first impression is also important when it comes to chocolate tasting. Therefore, you should first pay attention to the chocolate’s appearance – colour, an even structure and sheen.

Touch

Now you can assess the structure of the surface (from smooth to rough or grainy).

Hearing

Hold a piece of chocolate to your ear and break it. Pay attention to the noise it makes: it may be distinct or rather dull. High-quality unfilled chocolate breaks with a distinctly perceivable cracking sound. The edge of the break is smooth and without crumbs.

Smell

You can use your nose to perceive the chocolate’s many aromas: You can either inhale its scent by holding a piece directly under your nose or you can let the chocolate melt in your mouth, breathe out and then inhale the aromas.

Taste

We now come to the most intense experience of chocolate tasting: Let a piece slowly melt in your mouth. Spread the chocolate with your tongue to bring it in contact with your taste nerves. What do you perceive?